The liberal Buddhist who writes this blog is me, Tom Cummings. I’m a retired information systems manager, a former executive and personal life coach, a daily meditation practitioner, and a long-time student of Buddhism. I live in Westchester, New York, with my wife and partner of thirty-two years, Elyse. We became “empty nesters” nine years ago, in the fall of 2012, when our twins, a son and a daughter, left home for college. He, now a post-doctoral research professor of indoor air quality, lives with his girlfriend in Philadelphia; she, a social justice activist, creative writing consultant, and aspiring novelist, lives with her boyfriend in Pittsburgh. So fortunately for Elyse and me, both of them are nearby enough that they can make it back “home” with relative ease for special family occasions as well as for the occasional long-weekend visit.
I practice meditation in the Vipassana style, which aspires to the gaining of insight into the impermanent and interconnected nature of all things; and I study Buddhism according to the Theravada tradition, which adheres closely to the original teachings of the Buddha as recorded in the Pali Canon. In addition to my daily sitting practice every morning, I attend weekly meditation sessions (now, during the pandemic, online via Zoom) on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings at the Community Meditation Center on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and I’m a regular participant in the online courses and programs offered by Bodhi College in Devon, England.
I’m constantly reading about meditation and Buddhism in both print and online formats, and if you’re interested in checking out some of the books and websites that I’ve found helpful, please take a look at my Resources page. I also encourage you to comment on any of my posts here on this blog, and if you have a Twitter account, I invite you to follow me there at @LiberalBuddhist.
The Liberal Buddhist 